Let the Rain Wash Away Our Pains
by YunsDreamWorld
Summary: A chance meeting in the rain changes a couple of things years down the road. Cross-posted from AO3.


Notes: Happy Birthday, Yaotome Gaku! I'm not completely happy with this, but enjoy anyway! (This was originally posted on 16 August on AO3)

* * *

Riku knew he shouldn't be outside in the rain, but he couldn't care less. It's not like anyone waited at home for him anymore. Not that he had a home. He was all alone now. No one wanted him. His brother had abandoned him, and his parents blamed him for it. The people, who were supposed to unconditionally love him.  
The rain fell in a soothing rhythm. By now Riku was completely soaked. How many hours had he been out in the rain? How long had he been standing in this empty park with his head tilted back letting the rain wash away the tear streaks on his face? He didn't know. He didn't care.  
His eyes remaining closed, Riku titled his head further back and let his mouth fall open. The rain's strength was just right. Not harsh enough to hurt, but also not light enough to not be felt. He guessed, he was lucky it was summer.  
"You'll catch a cold", a deep, soothing voice said at the same time the rain stopped falling. Blinking his eyes open, Riku's vision was filled with what appeared to be a silver umbrella.  
"You okay, kid?" the voice asked again. With lethargic movements, he turned his body into the direction of the voice and straightened his head to get a better look at the person. A boy, perhaps four to five years older than him, stood there holding his umbrella over Riku's head. Silver hair with matching silver eyes.  
"You're definitely not okay", the stranger stated before Riku could form any coherent thought. Not that that was a difficult feat. Riku felt numb and lethargic.  
"My name's Yaotome Gaku", the boy introduced himself and took a small step closer. Not close enough to be also covered by the umbrella, which Riku only noticed now. The boy, Gaku, was slowly getting soaked in the rain.  
"Nanase Riku", Riku finally croaked out his voice hoarse partially from not using his voice for days, partially from crying countless hours and partially from having been out in the rain for god knows how long.  
"Let's get you somewhere warm", Gaku asserted gently. Riku merely let himself be pulled along. It only registered vaguely in the back of his mind that he was letting a stranger stir him towards an unknown destination. He felt too numb to care.

The place, the older boy took Riku to, was a Soba restaurant. When they entered, it was nearly empty, save for an elderly pair and young-looking woman. They looked like they were about to close up.  
"It's my grandparents' place", Gaku explained as he dropped the umbrella in the entryway and tugged the redhead towards a table in the back.  
"Grandma! Can you make him something to eat?" Gaku called over his shoulder. The elderly woman responded with an affirmative. They did resemble each other, Riku thought detached. It was almost like watching a movie. The next moment, a blanket was draped over his shoulders. He looked up to see the younger woman, who must have been Gaku's mother, with a welcoming smile directed towards him.  
"What happened?" the woman asked with concern in her voice as Gaku took the seat next to Riku.  
"I found him standing in the rain all alone in the park about twenty minutes from here", Gaku explained softly keeping a hand on Riku's shoulder. A surprised gasp escaped the woman's lips.  
"Your parents must be worried sick", she breathed out the worry increasing visibly. It was that sentence that seemed to break the redhead's lethargy. Suddenly, like the dam had broken, tears started streaming down his face. Distantly, he wondered how that was possible considering how much he had been crying recently. Riku entirely missed the alarmed looks Gaku and his mother exchanged at the sudden reaction.  
"Th-they do-don't c-care", Riku hiccupped as he began crying harder. His breath started shortening. Black spots began to appear in his vision as the crying devolved into hyperventilation at a rapid pace. He felt light-headed and his pulse was racing.  
Riku barely registered the voice telling him to breathe, to concentrate on them. His consciousness started fading in and out until he was finally able to latch onto that soothing, deep voice. In and out. Slowly. Repeat. He wasn't sure how much time passed, but when his breathing had returned to normal, he immediately blackened out slumping into the warm body, whose voice had calmed him down.

* * *

Gaku wrapped his arms tightly around the boy in his arms as he slumped. For a moment he panicked until he registered the even breathing coming from the redhead.  
"He must have passed out from exhaustion", Gaku's mother suggested with worry. The boy couldn't be any older than fourteen. Just then, Gaku's grandmother came into view.  
"Sorry, grandma. You made the food for nothing", Gaku apologized as he adjusted the boy in his arms. His grandmother waved him off saying they could reheat it or eat it for dinner and that she could the make the poor boy another one anytime.  
In the end, they laid two futon out in Gaku's room and let Riku borrow a pair of Gaku's pyjamas. It had taken a while to change Riku's clothes in his unconscious state. They could deal with everything else the next day. Luckily, they had decided to close for the next day due to a national holiday.

* * *

Gaku woke to the excited whispers of his mother and grandmother. He had no idea why they were so excited, but he was too comfortable to lift his head in order to look for the source of their excitement. So, instead of giving in to his curiosity, he buried himself deeper into the warmth surrounding him. He vaguely registered the sounds of pictures being snapped.  
"Uhm, Yaotome-san?" a soft voice questioned gently and unsure. Gaku hummed in response, still not completely awake. His mother had started cooing now. The seconds ticked by. Then, Gaku was suddenly hit by the memories of the day before. His eyes shot open and his sight was filled with fiery red hair.  
"Ah! Sorry!" Gaku exclaimed jerking away in embarrassment. He hadn't meant to use their guest as a body pillow.  
"It's fine", Riku simply said his voice devoid of any emotion. Frankly, it unnerved Gaku. It simply didn't fit for some reason. He may not know the boy, yet, but he just knew that this dead look did not belong there, shouldn't be there.  
"Have you slept well, Riku-kun?", the voice of Gaku's mother sounded gently causing the pair of boys to turn towards her. She had moved next to Riku's futon and kneeled down. Riku nodded silently, which let a smile bloom on the woman's face.  
"My name is Yamamura Yūka. I'm Gaku's mother. The elderly lady over her is my mother Yamamura Fuyuko. My father, Yamamura Kazuki is currently manning the restaurant. You'll meet him later", she explained to their guest. At first, they only got a nod from the redhead.  
"Thank you for your hospitality. I'll be out of your hair as soon as possible", Riku stated bowing his head to Yūka.  
"Not a chance. You're staying", Gaku growled out instantaneously. There was no way they would let the boy back on the streets. He shifted closer to Riku and gathered him in his arms. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw his grandmother slipping out of the room.  
"Gaku is right. You can stay for as long as you like", Yūka concurred gently, but firmly. Riku made to protest, but Fuyuko held up a hand to stop him from speaking.  
"Our restaurant is doing well enough that we can easily support another person", Yūka told him. Tears started gathering in Riku's eyes and it didn't take long until they started falling. However, unlike the heart-breaking sobbing from the day before, he was crying silently and gently.  
"I-I can't. I will ruin everything", Riku sobbed softly. Gaku tightened his hold on redhead ever so slightly. He was not letting him go.  
"What do you mean by that?" the older boy gently coaxed while he took one of Riku's hands in his and started rubbing the back of it with his thumb. The genuine concern seemed to finally break through the last of Riku's defences. He spilled everything. His illness. How a man ruined his parents' show business to get his older brother. How his brother easily followed the man and abandoned them. How his parents blamed him for all of it and threw him out. By the time Riku was done, Gaku had moved to hug him from behind and Yūka had taken to rub the backs of his hands with her thumbs.  
"How old are you, Riku?" Yūka asked gently.  
"I turned 13 on 9 June this year", Riku sniffled as he gave in and snuggled back into the warmth the older boy was providing.  
"I turned 17 on 16 August, so I'm older by almost four years than you", Gaku responded with a gentle smile, which unfortunately went unnoticed by the redhead. Yūka could not help but be giddy at the sight those two provided. They would manage. There would be challenges, but they would brave them together.  
"You two should get washed up. I'll get some food ready for you in the meantime", Yūka suggested as she rose to her feet. Both boys nodded. Yūka gave them another smile before she headed out of the room.

The following weeks were not easy. While Riku had been lucky not to get sick, his emotional recovery was slow-going. It was a roller-coaster for all of them, but not once did the Yamamuras regret taking in the young redhead. Especially not, when they saw how his relationship with Gaku developed.  
Gaku was the first one Riku opened up to completely and would always seek out his company when nightmares and insecurity caught up to him. In the end, no one bothered suggesting getting Riku his own room and the two continued to share Gaku's room. Gaku in return got so attached to the redhead, that Yūka and her parents started betting when the two of them would get together as a couple. And so, Riku blossomed under the care of the Yamamuras.

* * *

Riku hummed his favourite tune as he cleaned the restaurant together with Yūka after a very busy day. Whenever the restaurant got busy, he and Gaku would help out after school. Today, however, Gaku had had a previous engagement. Something to do with his father, who ran a talent agency.  
While Riku had never personally met the man, he was not fond of him. The stories he had been told did not paint Yaotome Sōsuke in a good light. He would reserve his final judgment until he actually met the man, but he doubted his opinion would change much.  
Riku was brought out of his musing by a loud bang. Snapping his head towards the sound he saw a very angry Gaku, who probably had slammed the door, stalking towards him. He subtly looked at Yūka, who gave him a nod in return.  
After Gaku had got attached to Riku, it had become a habit for him to seek out the redhead whenever he became overwhelmed by his emotions. Usually, it was best to just leave Riku to deal with Gaku when that happened and get the full story later after Gaku's emotions had calmed down. Therefore, no one batted an eye when Gaku grabbed Riku by the wrist and dragged him off toward their shared room.

When the pair reached their room, Gaku flopped down on the already laid out futon taking Riku with him. The moment their bodies collided, the older boy pulled the other into a tight, but not too tight, hug. Riku frowned. He felt like punching whoever got Gaku into this state.  
"What happened?" Riku enquired worriedly, which earned him a growl from Gaku. Riku wiggled around until he could wrap his arms around the older boy.  
"Sorry. It's just been rough", Gaku exhaled after some tense moments. Riku merely snuggled more into Gaku patiently waiting for him to continue.  
"I'll be the leader of a new idol unit, TRIGGER, under my father's agency. There are two other members. Tsunashi Ryūnosuke from Okinawa", Gaku explained with a heavy voice. It was clear to Riku that he was hesitant to name their third member.  
"Who's the third member?" Riku asked despite the gnawing dread in his stomach telling that he was not going to like the answer. Gaku remained silent for another couple of seconds.  
"Kujō Ten", Gaku snarled tightening his hold on Riku. The redhead didn't complain. It was slightly uncomfortable, but not enough for him to deny Gaku or himself the comfort. Cold spread through his entire body. He had figured that this would happen one day, he just hadn't expected it with this timing.  
"Did you tell him?" Riku asked weakly when he found his voice again.  
"No. Though, they are probably wondering about my instant animosity towards Kujō", Gaku hummed back loosening his hold slightly. His anger seemed to finally cool down. They fell into comfortable silence for a couple of minutes.  
"Do you want me to ask him about why he left you", Gaku asked breaking the silence. Riku shook his head.  
"No, I want to do that myself", Riku confessed. He would work towards being able to meet his brother on stage to ask his questions. He could be patient.

After some time, Riku pulled back slightly to look at Gaku, whose arms were resting around his hips. His hands came up to take the older boy's face between them. His thumbs gently stroke his cheeks. Slowly, he closed in until their lips connected.  
As if it was natural for them to do this, Gaku gently moved his lips guiding the younger boy into a kiss. It was slow and sweet. Riku's hands dropped to Gaku's shoulders. Their lips moved gently against each other. When they pulled away, both their faces were painted with light blushes.  
"Are you sure?" Riku asked breathless his feelings overwhelming him.  
"I am. Are you?" Gaku hummed resting his chin on the other's shoulder.  
"I am. I've been crushing on you for a while", Riku admitted shyly. That made Gaku's head shoot up in an instant and look at Riku like he couldn't believe what he was hearing.  
"Really? I thought I was the only one", Gaku murmured, which earned him a small chuckle from the younger boy.  
"Your mom and grandparents have been betting on when we would get together", Riku said with some mirth as Gaku's blush deepened a shade.  
"Wait, they knew?!" Gaku exclaimed once Riku's words caught up with him. When Riku nodded, Gaku groaned in embarrassment and buried his face in Riku's neck. That actually sort of explained why both of them had got the talk from Gaku's mother recently, including her telling them they that they would have to draw the line at making out should they get into a relationship with someone younger until the younger party was eighteen. At the time that had confused them, but it made sense now.  
"We'll have to keep the relationship out of the public, though, with you on your way to become an idol", Riku hummed. Gaku didn't particularly like that but knew there was no way around it. He lifted his head back up to give Riku a small kiss. They continued to exchange small kisses until they were called to dinner by Fuyuko, where they explained everything to the rest of the family.

* * *

Gaku paced up and down the living room, while his mother and grandparents were sipping tea at the kotatsu. It was nearly midnight and Riku had not returned yet. They had closed up the restaurant over three hours ago. It was raining outside. The nervous energy had been building up for a while. Riku had been acting weirdly during the recent weeks.  
At first, Gaku had thought nothing of it, but then he had started to worry. He had had less time to spend with his family and Riku ever since he had started working for his father's agency. Especially after their recent debut. Riku had never complained but lately, the redhead had been hardly around when Gaku managed to spend some time at home whereas before he would always make sure to be there at such times. Had Riku tired of him? Had he felt neglected? Should he have called his boyfriend more often? Those and other possible reasons swirled around Gaku's head as his pacing continued. Each new one worse than the previous one.  
The sound of the front door being slammed open and closed again suddenly resounded through the air making Gaku freeze in his movements and whip his head towards the door of the living room. His eyes remained trained on the door as footsteps could be heard drawing closer.  
The door flew open revealing a widely grinning Riku. Before Gaku could react in any way he had an armful of the redhead barely managing to brace himself for the sudden weight. The next thing registering in his mind was that Riku was soaked to the bone. Gaku stammered and tripped over his words unable to make sense of what was happening as Riku slung his arms around the taller boy's torso and looked up at him with a smile more blinding than the sun.  
"I got scouted!" Riku announced with so much glee it felt like the room was lighting up.  
"Huh?" Gaku blurted as his mind screeched to halt. He stared at his boyfriend wide-eyed. Riku didn't seem to mind patiently waiting for him to process the news, his grin never faltering.  
"You got scouted?" Gaku breathed with a mix of confusion and cautious happiness. The puzzle pieces started to slowly fall into place.  
"Yup, by Takanashi Productions", Riku beamed and recounted how their president happened to came across him during karaoke. Then he explained about meeting the other members of his group and the audition. The two were so absorbed with each other that they completely missed the two women smiling fondly at them.  
"That's fantastic!" Gaku cheered right before pulling the redhead into a kiss. Everything made sense now. Riku probably had been avoiding him to keep him from finding out. Either to surprise him or avoid having to give him bad news if it had gone wrong.  
The sound of someone clearing their throat pulled the two lovers apart in embarrassment. Gaku had completely forgotten that his family was present and Riku hadn't noticed them all when he had arrived. Sheepishly, and with a light blush on their cheeks, they turned to face the three other occupants.  
"You might want to get Riku into a warm bath and dry clothes", Yūka suggested with a mischievous smile gracing her elegant features. The two boys looked each other and then at Riku's soaked state.  
"Oops?" Riku laughed sheepishly scratching the back of his head while Gaku merely smirked. There was a small hint of worry, though. Riku's asthma had gotten a lot better over the years and he had even become able to exercise quite vigorously as long as he managed his condition accordingly.  
After the Yamamuras had made him aware of athletes with the condition to make him realise that it did not have to hold him back if he handled it correctly, he had taken to look after himself better. He still pushed his limits, but he knew how far he could push past his limits without causing an adverse effect.  
"Come on", Gaku murmured as he stirred his boyfriend out of the living room and towards the bathroom. Perhaps they could have some fun to celebrate the occasion and warm Riku up.

* * *

The moment Riku's body hit the mattress all the tension left his body. TRIGGER's live performance had been more nerve-wracking than he had expected. It hadn't been the first time he had gone to one of their live performances. It might have been the pent-up emotions from their month-long ban on activities that had been the cause.  
The redhead winced as he suddenly remembered what had happened after the live performance. He doubted Gaku would hold it against them having known about the ban, but from what he knew about President Yaotome there would be trouble coming their way. His smartphone ringing ripped him out of his musing.  
"Hi", Riku greeted tiredly after accepting the call and turning onto his back.  
" _How are you feeling?_ " Gaku asked on the other end with concern.  
"Exhausted. Happy", Riku murmured. A short silence ensued.  
"I'm sorry about what happened after the live. We had no intention of causing trouble", Riku apologised despite knowing his boyfriend wasn't mad at him.  
" _I know. I would have been surprised if that hadn't happened. Our manager and the old man are pissed off, though. Better brace for trouble. I'll try to see if I can get Ryū and Kujō to back me when I try to get him to drop the issue_ ", Gaku sighed. While Gaku called their centre by his first name in public, he always referred to or addressed him by his family name whenever there were no cameras or fans.  
" _Get some rest. We'll figure it out somehow_ ", Gaku added. As if on cue, Riku yawned.  
"Mmmh. I miss you", Riku mumbled as exhaustion started claiming his consciousness. They hardy had any time to spend time together nowadays. But they didn't have a choice. They had to keep their relationship under wraps.  
" _I miss you, too. Love you_ ", Gaku replied fondly. Riku swore he could practically hear the fond smile the silver-haired boy was wearing.  
"Love you. Night", Riku mumbled sleepily. He barely heard Gaku's own good night wishes before the phone slipped out of his hands and sleep claimed him.

* * *

MuFes had been a catastrophe. For the most part. Riku had had a minor asthma attack because his inhaler had broken in the struggle with an intruder in IDOLiSH7's waiting room. While none of IDOLiSH7 had figured out his exact relation with Kujō Ten or that he had asthma, Iori had come dangerously close several times. They knew, however, that he had some history with TRIGGER's centre.  
While Riku didn't like seeing people cry, it had been nice to see that Iori was capable of it. As much as he adored each member of IDOLiSH7, Iori's behaviour sometimes got on nerves, no matter how much he enjoyed their bickering.

Riku's phone rang stopping everyone's conversations and drawing their attention to IDLOiSH7's centre. He knew who that ringtone belonged to. Gaku must have been worried after what happened earlier.  
"Hey", Riku greeted with small smile gracing his lips.  
" _Are you all right?_ " Gaku asked the frantic undertone clear as day in his voice. It warmed Riku's heart. He appreciated that Gaku and the Yamamuras never restricted his freedom despite his condition. They still made sure he took care of himself, though.  
"I'm fine. It was a minor one. The device broke during the struggle with an intruder", Riku explained making sure to be as vague as possible since his group members were still present. They were all looking at him with various degrees of curiosity. On the other end of the phone, Gaku growled.  
"Calm down. No one was really hurt. Our waiting room was just a mess. There didn't seem to be anything missing either", Riku chuckled. Gaku's protective side could be really adorable. And sexy sometimes. Not that he would tell his boyfriend that.  
"I'll see you tomorrow?" Riku asked to divert Gaku's attention to something else.  
" _Yeah. I might be a bit late, though_ ", Gaku sighed.  
"That's all right. See you tomorrow", Riku responded. Gaku returned the statement and they finished the phone call. It had been a while since they had had the opportunity to spend some time together.  
"A friend of yours?" Yamato asked curiously as Riku put away his phone. Riku almost snorted. If only they knew.  
"Something like that", Riku grinned and turned on his heels missing the surprised reaction to his response from the others. They should head back and get some rest.

* * *

Riku blinked in surprise as the door he had knocked on swung open. He had not expected his boyfriend to be the one to open the door. He had been intending to finally talk with his twin and get some answers.  
"Oops?" Riku offered clearly seeing the amusement with a hint of concern on Gaku's face.  
"Come in", Gaku simply stated stepping aside to give the redhead enough space to move past him. They might as well use the opportunity to spend some time together.

Unbeknownst to the pair, four of IDOLiSH7's members stared in confusion and shock from their hiding place as the door to Gaku's room closed.  
"Did that just happen?" Mitsuki wondered. They had followed Riku to make sure he didn't get in trouble since they were aware that there was some unpleasant history between him and TRIGGER's centre. Not to mention that Kujō Ten could be very scary.  
"That was indeed an unexpected reaction", Yamato agreed puzzled by how TRIGGER's leader had responded to Riku.  
"It's almost as if they know each other very well", Nagi commented thoughtfully. Iori scoffed at the idea. Neither of the two has ever shown any signs of that before and in his opinion, their centre was incapable of keeping secrets.  
"Anyway, it doesn't seem like Yaotome is going to anything to Riku. I say we turn in and get some rest", the leader of IDOLiSH7 suggested. If only he knew. Unfortunately, their plans to turn in were postponed by an encounter with a very intimidating Kujō Ten.

* * *

Riku woke surrounded by warmth and comfort. He hadn't felt this relaxed in months. However, the sticky feeling made him regret on insisting they wash up in the morning. Gaku stirred as well not long after. He mumbled something along the lines of feeling gross eliciting a chuckle from the redhead.  
The two of them figured they could shower together to save some time. Which turned out to have the opposite effect. It did leave both of them sated, though. Thankfully, neither of them had to be anywhere until noon. Therefore, they decided to spend the remaining morning hours together.  
"Minx", Gaku muttered staring at his boyfriend who had opted to wear nothing but one of Gaku's briefs and shirts each.  
"I don't know what you're talking about", Riku smiled with feigned innocence. He had made sure to wear one of the shirts that gave the appearance of nothing being worn beneath.

* * *

Down in the dining hall, the other members of IDOLiSH7 were gathering for breakfast one by one. Most of them were still half asleep, which caused conversations to be at a minimum. Only halfway through breakfast did one of them speak up.  
"Where is Riku-kun?" Sōgo asked curiously when he finally noticed the absence of their centre. It was unusual for the redhead to be this late or miss breakfast. The reaction was instantaneous as Yamato, Mitsuki, Nagi and Iori became more alert. They had completely forgot about their centre due to their encounter with Kujō Ten.  
"I will get him", Iori offered already standing up. No one stopped him.

Half an hour later, Iori returned with a troubled look, which worried the others. He seemed to struggle with his words when he reached the table.  
"He's not in his room", Iori said hesitantly. Yamato and Mitsuki looked at each other.  
"You don't think he's still...", Mitsuki mused hesitant to put his thoughts into words.  
"Possibly. Only one way to find out", Yamato grimaced. Yaotome Gaku had quite the reputation according to the media. Nagi's face lit up with understanding and slight worry as he caught on. The MEZZO duo could only listen in confusion.  
"Sorry, we'll explain on the way", Yamato said already on his feet. The others made to follow him. As they made their way to the top floor, IDOLiSH7's leader explained what ha occurred the evening before. Sōgo was quite torn between fanboying and worry for their centre.  
When they reached their destination, they came across Ryū and Ten coming out of their rooms. TRIGGER's centre immediately frowned, while Ryū greeted them amicably.  
"Would you happen to know where Yaotome is?" Yamato asked after everyone had exchanged greetings.  
"What business do you have with our leader?" Ten asked coldly, which earned him a small scolding from the eldest TRIGGER member.  
"He's probably still in his room. If you'd like, you could come with us?" Ryū offered friendly. Yamato nodded with a grim expression. Ryū led the group to Gaku's room and knocked. None of them could have ever been prepared for what awaited them when the door opened.

* * *

Gaku and Riku were in the middle of a rigorous snogging session. It was like they were making up for all the time they hadn't been able to spend together lately. While both had quite a healthy libido, neither of them was usually as horny as they had been during the last twelve hours.  
Riku was straddling Gaku, who was sitting cross-legged on the bed. The silver-haired boy's hands were caressing and massaging his partner's back beneath the shirt, while the redhead clung to him as of his life depended on it. Their lips danced fierily.  
A heated moan escaped Riku. He could feel Gaku smirking into the kiss. The redhead snapped his hips forward in retaliation grinding their hips to together. The resulting groan made Riku feel very satisfied. The growl that followed caused heat to pool in his stomach. He let out a pleasured almost-scream when Gaku bit his neck hard enough that it would surely leave a mark.

Abruptly, a series of knocks sounded from the door causing the couple to jerk away from each other in surprise. Both of them were panting heavily and attempting to catch their breath. Frustrated groans escaped them both. Riku looked thoroughly ravished, Gaku looking only marginally more composed.  
Another series of knocks echoed through the room. Riku grumbled as he got off his boyfriend's lap with a bit of difficulty and crawled towards the edge of the bed. He didn't bother straightening himself out, too annoyed with the interruption.  
The redhead threw open the door and came face to face with the other members of IDOLiSH7 and TRIGGER, whose jaws dropped to the floor. It was quite the hilarious sight and he would have laughed at them had he not been so annoyed.  
"Who is it?" Gaku called from his spot on the bed.  
"Our group members", Riku called back not once taking his eyes off of them. Rustling could be heard and seconds later Gaku appeared behind Riku wrapping his arms around the redhead's waist.  
"Gaku", Ten growled menacingly being the first one to find his voice. None of them, with perhaps the exception of Tamaki, were under any illusion as to what had been going on. The ravished look of both of them in addition to Riku's state of near undress left little to the imagination. The growl snapped the others out of their stupor and a frantic mess of words erupted.  
"ENOUGH!", Riku yelled stunning everyone into silence. He heaved a sigh.  
"Let's take this inside", Gaku suggested, though it sounded more of a command. The lovers returned to the bed leaving the door open for the others to follow. While the two of them made themselves comfortable, the others trickled into the room one by one. Gaku leaned against the headboard with Riku between his legs back to chest. It didn't take long until everyone had found a spot for themselves.  
"All right, what's going on?" Mitsuki asked cutting to the chase before Ten could get a word in. Gaku and Riku exchanged a look before they launched into their explanation. The recounted how they met and what followed. Riku told them about his asthma and his relation to Kujō Ten. They told them that they had been dating since the day TRIGGER had been formed.  
When the couple ended their explanation, no one said anything. All of them were lost in their thoughts processing what they had just found out. It was a lot to take in. It might take some time for it to fully sink it. Therefore, Riku and Gaku suggested that they return to their rooms to think everything over. There was still some time left until noon.  
Surprisingly, no one protested. Perhaps the shock had been more severe than they had anticipated. The two of them watched their group members leave the room one by one. Only one person hung back a little longer. Ryū turned around in the doorway to look back at them. He congratulated them with a small smile before leaving the room as well. At least someone had taken the whole thing somewhat well.

The pair spent several minutes in silence watching as the rain began to fall outside. They both were worried how this was going to affect things from this point. They did not have to worry about Ryū, but that was only one person out of ten. Fifteen, if they counted their managers and presidents.  
"We'll figure it out", Gaku assured. Riku hummed in response. The rain was soothing to both of them and reminded them of the day they met.  
"Sometimes, I feel like the rain washes away my pain", Riku commented absent-mindedly. Gaku made an agreeing noise. They would overcome this challenge like any other they had been presented with so far. The rain would soothe their troubles like so many times before.  
"Want to go outside for a bit?" Gaku asked knowing it wouldn't be long until his lover would itch to go play in the rain.  
"Do you even have to ask?" Riku grinned as he got up and actually dressed fully this time. Gaku shook his head fondly. They made their way to the rooftop where they played in the rain letting it wash over them and calm their worries.

* * *

Just an info. There are quite a few athletes who did splendidly in their careers without letting on to their asthma for years. So it would actually be possible for Riku to manage to keep his condition a secret as long as he manages it correctly.

You can find links to my tumblr, twitter, AO3 and IDOLiSH7 Amino on my profile.


End file.
